US2357820A - Popcorn machine - Google Patents

Description

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POPCORN MACHINE File Oct. 23, 194]. 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 .ZhMzz Z321 flz/mzsmm 1 47 a:

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rorcom: MACHINE Filed 001'... 23., 1 941 z Sheets- Sheet z Patented Sept. 12, 1944 POPCORN MACHINE William E. Hamilton, Evanston,,Ill., assignor to F. L. Klein Noodle Company. Chicago, 111., a copartnership consisting of LottieKlein and Bertram A. Klein Appl ication October 23, 1941, Serial No. 416,245

(Ci. SS -238.5)

9 Claims.

Another object is to provide a continuously.

traveling conveyor of the endless type, supporting a plurality of pans at spaced positions along the conveyor and arranged to move the pans horizontally over adjacent heating means to effect the popping of corn therein, together with,

means for automatically emptying the pans at a predetermined point in their travel.

It is also an object of the invention'to provide a continuously moving conveyor supporting a plurality of pans adapted for the popping of corn, together with heating means for eiTecting such treatment and means for automatically charging each pan with fresh corn at a certain point in its travel, such chargin means being actuated by the travel of the conveyor and the pans carried thereby.

It is likewise anobject of the invention to provide means by which each pan is supported pivotally on the conveyor and means for automatically inverting the pan by rotation about its pivotal support at a predetermined point in its travel, such means being actuated by the travel of the conveyor and serving to discharge the contents of the pan at the time when the popping operation has been completed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a chamher or enclosure with a conveyor and corn-popping apparatus mounted therein in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectionalview'taken substantially as indicated at line 2-2 on Figure l and on a somewhat larger scale.

Figure 3 is a horizontal plan section taken as indicated at line 33 on Figure 1..

Figure 4 is a detail plan section of the corn charging mechanism taken as indicated at line 4-4 on Figure 5.

Figure 5 is a staggered vertical section taken as indicated at line 55 on Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail section in a substantially vertical plane showing the oil charging device on an enlarged scale.

In the manufacture of popcorn it is possible, by experiment, to determine quite accurately the time which will be required for a vessel of given dimensions and material to produce a batch of finished popcorn when subjected to a given temperature. In my apparatus I provide a plurality of popping vessels or pans I, carried at regular intervals on the chains 2, 2 of a traveling conveyor of the endless type in which the chains are trained about sprocket wheels shown at 3 and 4 in Figure 1. The conveyor thus provides a horizontally extending upper run and a horizontally extending lower run which may be of any desired length, and which the pans I will traverse at a definitely regulated speed, the conveyor being driven by any suitable means, such as a motor, indicated at 5 in Figure 2, having a worm 6 meshing with a worm gear I on the shaft 4 of the sprocket wheels 4, 4. Thus, by any suitable speed controlling means -(not shown) for the motor 5, the rate of rotation of the sprockets 4, 4 and the rate of travel of the chains 2, 2, may be regulated, as desired.

Extending under the horizontal run of the chains 2, 2 there is shown a heating element in the form of a gas burner 8, and, if required, a similar burner 9 may be mounted to extend under the upper run of the chains so that throughout most of their travel the pans l are subjected to the heat of the gas flames. And to improve the efficiency of the heating elements, the entire apparatus may b enclosed in a chamber l0, having heat insulating walls, as indicated in Figure 1, and provided with suitable vents .(not shown) for the escape of the products of combustion.

Each of the pans l is shown' as a relatively shallow, cylindrical vessel, pivotally carried by trunnions H which engage the chain 2; and each pan includes a pair of semi-circular covers I2, [2 which are hingedly connected to the pan atdiametrically opposite portions of its rim, as indicated in dotted outline at l3 and also in section, in Fig. 3.

For supplying a definite charge of fresh corn to. each pan as it travels along the upper run of the conveyor, there is mounted outside the chamber It a hopper I4 having a spout l5 which connects with one of four cylindrical chambers l6 mounted in a suitable carrier for rotation about the axis of the shaft IT. A bevel gear I8 on the shaft II meshes with a driving gear I 9 on a horizontal shaft 20 which is connected by a suitable chain 2| and driving sprockets with a star wheel 22 disposed adjacent the path of one of the chains 2. Projecting from this chain, at intervals, are lugs 23, each of which engages the star wheel 22 and turns it through one-quarter of a revolution as the chain travels, thereby imparting motion to the shaft I'I sufficient to turn it through one-quarter of a turn so as to bring the cylinders I6 successively into registration with the spout I5. Each cylinder is thus filled with a measured quantity of corn from the hopper I4, and upon its rotation through the next quarter turn the cylinder I6 is registered with the discharge spout 24, terminating in position to deliver the corn into one of the pans I.

To permit the filling of the pans the hinged covers I2 and provided with actuating arms 25, extending laterally over the chains 2, 2 and for a suitable distance adjacent the position of the spout 24, a pair of cam rails 26 extend in position to be encountered by the arms 25, as indicated in Figure 2., so that the lids or covers I2 are automatically raised and held open while the pans I are passing under the filling spout 24.

It is also desirable to supply a measured quantity of melted butter or oil for coating the bottom of the pan to facilitate the popping action and prevent burning the corn, and this is furnished from a supply tank 2'! also mounted outside the chamber I8 and above it, as shown in Figure 1, with a discharge pipe 28 leading into a measuring chamber 29. As seen in Figure 6 the chamber 29 is formed at the lower end of a cylinder 30, having a piston 3I mounted for reciprocation therein .and arranged to be driven in one direction by a spring 32, and in an opposite direction by an eccentric 33 on a shaft 34. The shaft 34 is connected by a bevel pinion 35' to the bevel gear I8, which operates the corn measuring device; hence, each quarter turn of the gear I8 produces one revolution of the eccentric 33 and actuates the piston 3I through one reciprocation. This serves to expel from the chamber 29 the quantity of oil accumulated therein, such expulsion being accomplished in opposition to a check valve 36 which prevents flow from the chamber 29 except under the force of the piston 3|. Upon the return stroke of the pis ton a fresh quantity of oil is drawn into the chamber 29 by suction past the check valve 31 arranged in the supply line 28.

A delivery pipe 38, extending from the chamber 29, leads to a position for discharge into one of the pans I, which may be the pan just ahead of that which is being filled with corn through the spout 24, or the pan just following it; or, if desired, the pipe 38 may be directed so as to lead into the same pan as the spout 24, thus providing oil and corn simultaneously to prepare for the popping operation. Since the pans are kept continuously hot, the popping process begins immediately and continues as the pans travel through the remainder of the upper run of the conveyor, thence around the sprocket wheels 3 and along the lower run, as indicated in Figure 1.

In accordance with the usual practice, each pan is provided with a stirring device to prevent the corn from sticking or burning onto the bottom of the pan. Each device may consist of a radially extending arm, as seen in Figure 2, attached to a central shaft 4I within the pan I,

the upper end of the shaft being journaled in a cross-arm 42 and the lower end extending through the bottom of the pan and carrying a drive pinion 43 at its lower end. As the pans I travel horizontally, the pinions 43 mesh with a straight rack 44 which extends under the pans and is supported on one side of the guide rail 45 with which the bottoms of the pans engage as they travel, and which prevents them from tilting in response to the slight torque involved in rotating the gears 43 and stirring devices 40 attached thereto. The racks 44 and guide rails 45 are associated with both the upper and lower runs of the conveyor chains 2.

When the pans I have traveled from the filling spout 24, around the sprockets 3, and through the length of the lower horizontal run of the conveyor, the popping operation will be completedthe timing of the travel of the conveyor chains being so regulated as to insure this result. Then, as each of the pans I arrives adjacent the sprocket wheel 4, a fixed trip lug 45 encounters a lateral projection 41 on the side of the pan at a point below its trunnion II so as to tip the pan over forwardly as it continues to travel, and thus discharge its contents into a delivery chute 48 which may be arranged to lead outside the heat insulated chamber ID. As the pan I is inverted, its covers I2 swing open by gravity so as to release the load, and the pan is held in this position for a sufficient period by means of a trailing cam arm 49 which is shown extending at right angles to the trip-engaging surface 41, and which rides over the upper surface of the trip lug 46 as the pan travels upwardly around the sprocket 4. Figures 1 and 2 show one of the pans I in tilted discharging position, with the covers swung open by gravity, as described. It may be understood that the covers are relatively light, and that their hinges may be designed to check their opening movements at inclined positions, as shown in the drawings, so that as the pan approaches the upper portion of the sprocket 4 in its travel, the center of gravity of the pan itself, being below the axis of the trunnions II, will cause it to right itself automatically, and the covers I2 will drop to closed position. Since the pan is then empty, it is desirable that the filling mechanism for supplying corn and oil thereto be located fairly near the sprocket wheels 4, but if it is found that the temperatureof the pans drops considerably as they traverse the wheels 4, 4 the filling devices may be located far enough back from said wheels to allow time for reheating the pans by limited travel thereof over the initial portion of the heating element 9. This completes the cycle of operation, which is repeated continuously for any desired period of time. It will be understood that an means (not shown) may be provided for shutting off the supply of corn from the hopper I4 and of oil from the tank 21, so that upon shutting down the machine these supplies will first be cut off and the conveyor chains will then be operated only long enough to continue the processing of material then in the pans I and to effect discharge thereof through the chute 48.

I claim as my invention:

1. A popcorn machine which includes a traveling conveyor having a horizontal run, a plurality of popcorn pans carried by the conveyor, fixedly mounted heating means extending below and adjacent the path of the pans as they traverse said horizontal run, and a stirring device in each erse said horizontal run, and a rotary stirring device journaled in each pan with an operating shaft therefor extending outside the pan, a gear on said shaft and a toothed rack disposed-adjacent the path of travel of the pans in position to mesh with the gears and actuate the stirring devices as the pans travel.

3. A popcorn machine which includes a traveling conveyor having a horizontal run, a plurality of popcorn pans carried by the conveyor, fixedly mounted heating means extending below and adjacent the path of the pans as they traverse said horizontal run, a lid hinged to each pan, and means actuated by the travel of the pan to open the lid.

4. A popcorn machine which includes a traveling conveyor having a horizontal run, a plurality of popcorn pans carried on horizontal trunnions by the conveyor, fixedly mounted heating means extending below and adjacent the path of the pans as they traverse said horizontal run, means actuated by the travel of the pans to turn them on their trunnions and dump their contents, and a lid hingedly attached to each pan normally closed when the pan is in upright position and opening by gravity when the pan is tilted to dumping position.

5. A popcorn machine which includes a traveling conveyor having a horizontal run, a plurality of popcorn pans carried by the conveyor, fixedly mounted heating means extending below and adjacent the path of the pans as they traverse said horizontal run, a lid hingedly attached to each pan with an actuating arm extending therefrom, and a fixed cam rail extending adjacent the path of travel of the pans and formed to engage said actuating arms and swing the lids to open position for a predetermined portion of their travel.

6. A popcorn machine which includes a traveling conveyor having a horizontal run, a plurality of popcorn pans carried by the conveyor, and fixedly mounted heating means extending below and adjacent the path of the pans as they traverse said horizontal run, together with an oil supply receptacle, and means actuated by the travel of the conveyor operable to deliver a charge of oil to each pan as it passes a predetermined point in its travel.

'7. A popcorn machine which includes a traveling conveyor having a horizontal run, a plurality of popcorn pans carried by the conveyor, fixedly mounted heating means extending below and adjacent the path of the pans as they traverse said horizontal run, a lid hinged to each pan, and means actuated by the travel of the pan to open the lid, together with a filling mechanism including a measuring chamber and means actuated by the travel of the conveyor to release the contents of said chamber into a pan momentarily registered therewith.

8. A popcorn machine which includes a plurality of separate popcorn pans and means by which they are carried on horizontal pivots in a substantially horizontal path, fixedly mounted heating means extending below and adjacent said path of said pans, means actuated by the travel of the pans to turn them on their pivots and dump their contents, and a lid hingedly attached to each pan normally closed when the pan is in upright position and opening by gravity when the pan is tilted to dumping position.

9. A popcorn machine which includes a plurality of separate popcorn pans and means by which they are carried in a substantially horizontal path, fixedly mounted heating means extending below and adjacent said path of said pans, a lid hingedly attached to each pan and means actuated automatically in timed relation to the travel of the pans to swing the lids to open position at a predetermined point in their travel.

WILLIAM E. HAMILTON.

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